Ora
Quick Reference Ora is the Goddess of Creation for all physical matter. She writes the laws of existence and even chased Aran out of the plane for this right; thus, the plane and all things in it are named after her. Because she rules over all the plane, she is aware of all places where Aran's energy yet lingers, but she chooses to do nothing about it. She created all worlds and life in this plane, and she used Aran's energy to separate Oraclos from the rest of the world and to create Miraclos. However, she is known for being whimsical with a volatile temper and often abandons the worlds she creates to their own devices once angered. Her affection for her younger sister is as well known as her hatred towards her brothers. However, she has since reconciled with Gorn and watches over the worlds with him and Mira at her side. Appearance Ora's preferred form is that of a human. She appears as a tall, willowy figure with long white hair tied back and middle-parted bangs trailing down to her shoulders to frame her face. Her expressions are varying, but most often she bears a smug countenance, especially around Aran and Gorn. Like the rest of her, her eyes are slim and sharp, and they are the color of what some would later call the clear, blue sky. She wears a white, golden patterned peplos with a sheer shawl and gold laurels. On the off occasion that she wishes to spend time around the mortals without being recognized, or if she enters Gorn's domain, she will take the form of a white and gray eagle with blue eyes. When Cassius Theron or any of his inheritors wields the Calling Stone, Ora can speak with them directly. As the Calling Stone is a manifestation of her power, it could be called one of her forms, and there will be times when it can be said that when a person uses the stone, a spirit can be seen guiding their hand. Goddess of Law and Order, and the Divine Justice Ora came into existence with Aran's first thought. It could be said that the first thing Ora ever created was herself. When she created the first star, Gorn appeared and recorded her actions. From there, the three worked in tandem to fill the void. Ora created the land, Aran created the laws, and Gorn wrote everything down. That is until Ora became frustrated by Aran's laws and wanted to write them herself. She chased Aran from the plane, locking herself and Gorn in what she now called the Oran plane. She continued to create the worlds and also now wrote the laws of said world, and Gorn continued to record her actions. He would occasionally obstruct her work or play a prank on her if it was harmless enough, but she usually ignored his actions until, eventually, she stopped acknowledging him altogether. This was when Mira came to be. She appeared before Ora without warning and told her that she was the Goddess of Love and Absolution. How she came to be was a mystery, but her purpose was clear. She was to undo everything that Ora had done. Ora welcomed her readily. If this was a ploy by Aran for vengeance, she would not let him win. In fact, she needed more space to work as her failed projects started to pile up. Again it was a group of three: Ora creating, Mira destroying, and Gorn recording all the events. Ora doted on Mira and did whatever she wished. One day, Mira approached Ora and begged for a world of her own. For the first time in ages, Ora went to Gorn for advice. Gorn told her that it was a good idea and all would turn out well in the end. Ora created a world separate from the others for Mira, and as with her other worlds, she named it after herself: Oraclos. It was a land full of animals at first. Ora thought it would be a good idea for Mira to start with beings of lesser awareness. But, Mira came to Ora and asked for human beings, like in Ora's other worlds. Ora told her to be respectful of all life but made humans from six of the animals of Mira's choosing. She retained her hold over their awareness, for Mira's safety, but still, Mira asked for Ora to give them free will. Again, Ora did as she was asked, but she kept a watchful eye. Then came the first tragedy. Those unhappy with Ora's laws attacked Mira. Not only did they know how to exploit her only weakness, but it was like seeing her own actions towards Aran being thrown back into her face. She cursed the humans, transforming them into hideous beasts, reflections of their wicked hearts. But, as she always did, Mira begged her to undo her curse. It was ridiculous to Ora, but she did it anyway. This was a test of Mira's ability to govern, so she would have to leave the major decisions to her. However, she did suggest, from this point on, to govern from a distance. The two appointed Cassius Theron, a popular and devout Gharmhyrr, as King of Oraclos and told him to unite the land under their names. Ora didn't bother with the details of his journey, choosing to watch from afar. Mira was following him but in the form of a rabbit, so Ora thought no danger could befall her in this way. She felt as each temple was erected, and she became less and less interested in watching, soon returning to her own work. Then, the second tragedy occurred. At the ceremony for the final temple, Temple Nexus, Cassius Theron was attacked by those seeking vengeance against Ora for cursing them years before. Mira stood in their way and was killed. Ora felt when it happened and became furious. The sky turned black, and she summoned fragments of Aran's power, mixing it with her own, and tore open a hole in the ground with white lightning. Using Aran's power, she created a portal to a new realm, Miraclos, which she called the underworld. However, she had poor control over the portal and it swallowed all that was around it, including Mira's body. When it closed, Ora declared that all who broke her laws would be banished to Miraclos, doomed to toil in agony for all eternity. Then, she left Oraclos for good. Enraged, she found Gorn and accused him of lying to her. He had told her that all would be well, but their experiment had killed Mira. Gorn assured her that the wounds would mend and become better than before, but Ora did not believe him and left as Aran did. Not the plane, but she found her own pocket of space and idled there, ignoring all the worlds she had created. She thought she might cease existing altogether, but one land continued to worship her. It was Oraclos, and they begged her for her return. Strongest of all were Cassius' prayers, begging her for her aid. She had lingering affection for him as an ally and appeared before him, granting him a fraction of her power with which to unite the land once more and strike down all who had done harm to her sister. However, she knew that giving him that power would kill him. If he chose to use it, she would gladly welcome his soul to her side for companionship. But, after all was said and done, he chose to return to Oraclos and be reborn. Ora asked him why he would choose to protect a land so quick to turn against its own, and he said that it was his duty as its king. She granted his wish. When Cassius, now Miriam Vesta, died a second time, this time by her own hand, Ora asked her why she would willingly kill herself when she had so much life left to live. Miriam replied that it was to better protect the land she loved. If she let her selfish desires for love and companionship stand in her way of saving innocent lives and delivering Ora's judgment, she would not be completing her duties as Oraclos' queen. However, she admitted to feeling regret over her actions and wished that in her next life, she would be able to make friends and find love. Ora wondered if there was love to be found without its patron goddess, but she again granted her companion's wish. She wiped Miriam's memory and returned her soul to Oraclos. Ora felt it when Mira returned, and she was distraught to find that she had been corrupted. The Agent of Chaos, Seneca Nero, had designs to turn her own sister against her, and she would not let that happen. Ora found the third vessel of Cassius Theron's soul and followed him as he struggled to gain control over both the events around him and his power. She knew Priam Tyndareus was trying to interfere with Cassius' fate because of his own misguided understanding of their arrangement, but there needn't be anything done about it. Fate was that which was destined to transpire regardless of the circumstances leading up to it. And so it happened that she and Cassius' third vessel came to face her sister. Seneca Nero had given his life to use Mira and Aran's power and summon her to the overworld. When Mira appeared, so did Ora, and she commanded the vessel to use her power and strike Mira down. She couldn't bear to do it herself. Looking into Mira's tormented eyes filled her with sorrow. However, the vessel used both Mira and Ora's power to purify Mira, sacrificing his body in the process. As thanks for purifying Mira, Ora restored his body as well as all those who had been injured in the battle leading up to this event, and she tore down the barrier separating Oraclos from the rest of the overworld. Mira purified Miraclos and its inhabitants and promised to watch over the land until a time came when they could join the two worlds once more. Ora also reconciled with Gorn, since everything ended well as he'd said after all, and the three of them watch over the world together. Worship of the Goddess in Other Lands All other lands have knowledge of Ora, but since she abandoned them, they choose not to worship her. Sylpheria opts to worship Gorn, and Enyo mostly chooses to ignore religion altogether. The only ones who yet worship Ora are the Orans of Oraclos, thanks to the efforts of Cassius Theron and his incarnations. Because of this, her power has waned significantly, and the only reasons she hasn't been overthrown by Gorn are his lack of interest and her followers' intense devotion. Compared to followers of Ora, followers of Gorn are lax with their worship, opting to go to him only if they need something from him. But, because there are so many of them, this only has a slight impact on him. Followers of Ora worship only Mira equally, as they had no knowledge of Gorn until rejoining the rest of the world and don't respond well to his flippant behavior towards their Goddess. Aran's existence is almost entirely unknown across the entire plane. Symbology Temples devoted to Ora mark their doors with a large circle over a small circle. If referencing Ora herself they simply draw a circle. Their banners are usually purple, in devotion to both Goddesses, but if referencing Ora herself, the banners would be a cyan color. The constellation "The Eagle" was named for Ora's eagle form, and it appears in the sky in the month of Nubila in the Season of Caelo. Those born under this star are said to inherit traits from the Goddess Ora herself: determined and serious with a talent for getting things done and thinking logically. However, they are also known to be anti-social, overly zealous, and unilateral in their thinking. Category:Gods Category:Mythos